Come Back To Me
by Kaseomelette
Summary: [First Four Chapters Up] Ginny and Harry had seemingly the perfect relationship, but a faulty accusation changes all that. When Ginny becomes involved with Draco Malfoy, what happens to Harry? Based off the 1st AAR CD
1. My Paper Heart

The door slammed shut with a force that Harry didn't think was capable from such a delicate girl. Of course, if he kept in mind the family from whence this little one came from and the temper that that lineage usually entailed, it wouldn't have been such a surprise. He slumped down onto the bed with a heavy sigh. His head fell into his hand, and a single tear slipped down his cheek. 

Ginny Weasley had been the source of Harry's attentions nearly every second of every day since the summer. He'd been foolishly unaware of her infatuation with him, until she finally came forward and confronted him about it. An entire summer at the Burrow had given them ample opportunity to discuss the way the felt and, after an awful lot of stuttering, they'd begun a relationship.

As in any relationship, Harry and Ginny had had their fair share of petty arguments, usually the kind that end in whispered apologies and a generous amount of snogging, but this by far was the worst on record. Having been foolishly accused of secretly having feelings for one Cho Chang, someone who he'd undoubtedly forgotten long ago, Harry had defended himself to the best of his abilities, but Ginny was not to be swayed. He now sat alone in his room at the top of Gyffindor Tower, tears silently staining his cheeks.

"Why am I so /stupid?" he said angrily to no one in particular. He fell sideways onto his bed, burrowing his head into the feather-stuffed pillow. He sighed in exasperation, hopefully this would all be resolved soon.

Please just don't play with me, my paper heart will bleed.  
This wait for destiny won't do.  
Be with me, please, I beseech you. Simple things that make you run away.  
Catch you if I can.

Ginny wasn't at all pleased with Harry's excuses. The look in his eyes when he glanced Cho's way was enough to make her hurl. She stormed down the empty hallways of Hogwarts, headed no where in particular. Her hair was disheveled, leaving her looking less than attractive, and the redness of her face and puffyness of her eyes from crying didn't help any either. Walking too swiftly to notice anything around her, thoughts raced through her mind as to exactly what she should do in this situation.

"If he loved me," she muttered to herself, "then he wouldn't be making goo-goo-eyes at that /Chang/ all the time." She spat the name as if it were poison. She continued her angry march through the corridors, but continued to slow down her pace the further she got until she was finally walking at a normal rate of speed. She continued to mutter.

"Honestly I don't understand why he even tried to pretend he was innocent, Merlin knows he's never given even me the looks he throws that Ravenclaw /slut/." Not bothering to look ahead in her deep train of thought and murderous mutterings, she stopped short when she ran into a solid figure who didn't seem to have being paying much attention either. She shot a nervous glance towards the figures face and caught site of the silvery-blonde hair. Her stomach lurched even as she heard a silky voice in her ear.

"And just what does the little Weaslette think she's doing out so /late?" he spat, crossing his arms over his chest and trying to look dignified. "Isn't it well past your bedtime, little one?" Although Ginny was known for a sharp tongue, which probably came from her Weasley temper, she just wasn't in the mood to take on a Malfoy. She quickly wiped the remains of a soft tear and sniffed, trying her hardest to be tough with him.

"Look, Malfoy, I'm really not in the mood right now." Her gaze couldn't hold his and she looked shakily at the floor, her hair hiding her face, tinged with a blush.

"Oh, has Weasley finally met her match? Tongue not quick enough to take on a big bad Malfoy like me, is it?" he laughed and tsked at her. "And I really thought there was hope in you, yet"

"Shut it, Malfoy!" she bit, eyes locking on his and staring him down. The look on her face was enough to strike a little fear in him. "I can't /deal/ with you right now.." her voice became shaky towards that end, and as ashamed as she was to appear weak in front of him, she broke down into tears, and surprisingly enough, he made no move to say anything.

She sobbed into her hands, chest heaving as she tried to calm herself down. She had expected him to laugh at her, mock her, call her an 'ickle cry baby', but what he actually did was something completely unlike a Malfoy. He opened his arms to her, and drew her into his chest, allowing the littlest Weasley to heave and sob and soak his shirt with her tears. He stroked her hair softly, and tried to calm her by whispering little 'it will be alright's' into her ear. But the most shocking thing is, she believed him. And for the moment, Harry was completely forgotten.

Tears fall down your face.  
The taste is something new, something that I know.  
Moving on is easiest when I am around you.  
So bottle up old love, and throw it out to sea, watch it away as you cry.  
A year has passed, the seasons go.

Unfortunately, all good (and strange) things must come to an end. And as soon as Ginny's torrents of tears had ceased, Draco released her. He smiled at her, something she almost took as just a trick of the light if he hadn't have looked so undeniably cute when he did that. Finding something suddenly terribly interesting about her own shoe, her eyes never met his for longer than a second or two.

"Do you want to talk about whatever it is you're so torn up over, or was I just pretending to be a tissue?" he questioned. She thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Talking might actually help, but if you don't want to listen then I'd understand.." she forced a smile.

"No, we can talk," he glanced around the corridor, "want to go some place else?" Once again, she nodded. He grinned and took her hand in his, leading her down toward the dungeons of the castle. They wound up somehow or another in what seemed to be the Head Boy's private chamber.

"Have a seat," he motioned toward a couch in front of a warm fire. She sat and glanced around, admiring the decoration in the room. He took a seat beside her, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

"So, what's Potter done this time?" She was surprised how much it seemed he already knew about the situation. She sighed and sat up beside him, gazing into the fire for a moment.

"Well.." she began. "I've been noticing a bit of googly-eyedness going on between Harry and Cho Chang, and I was a little worried about it. So, I asked him. He obviously denied everything that I had to say, but there's something he's not telling me. I know there is." Draco nodded as she spoke, as if taking in all the information like a psychiatrist would.

"I can't say much in the defense of Potter or you. You could be wrong, but then again, you could be right. I don't know him or Chang very well, and seeing as how I don't pay much attention to either of them very often, googly-eyes is not something that I'd notice." It seemed as if he wanted to continue, but Ginny interrupted.

"Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you doing all of this for me? Listening to my problems and all that?" He shrugged.

"I don't know, really. To tell you the honest truth.." he paused. "Well, nevermind. The truth would probably frighten you." She eyed him suspiciously, then shook her head.

"I won't be frightened. Tell me." Sighing, he continued.

"Ginny, I noticed something different about you a long time ago. My continuing taunting of you was me trying to uphold my reputation, but I'm really a different person than you see on the outside. You're like me in many ways, and I know that may frighten you a bit, but you really are. You've got a temper to freeze all Hell. And you know what you want, and you get what you want. You take it if you have to." She seemed stunned but she continued to listen intently.

"And frankly, Weasley, I've got a thing for you.."

Please just don't play with me, my paper heart will bleed.  
This wait for destiny won't do.  
Be with me, please, I beseech you. Simple things that make you run away.  
Catch you if I can.


	2. Your Star

She stared, for a long time, not even moving. Draco Malfoy, the one man that had plagued her life since as long as she could remember, had just admitted to having a thing for her. Her eyes were wide with shock, and he sat smiling at her. 

"I know, it was quite shocking to me, also," he stated matter-of-factly. Finally, she grinned, her elbows resting on her knees as she clasped her hands together. She nearly started laughing. She look into the fire, then at him, then back into the fire. Then, she really did laugh.

"Well, Draco," she said after she'd finally regained her composure. "I've got a bit of a thing for you, too." Suddenly her mind went hurdling back to the reason she was sitting here, alone, with Draco Malfoy.

"Oh, but Harry." Her hand covered her lips.

"I'm not going to force you into anything at all, Gin, but I'm not ashamed to be publicly involved with you if you'd wish it to be that way. My father's in prison, no one will harm you, and I could care less about what other people might say." Ginny caught his eyes, holding his gaze, but she was really looking past him, into the depths of her own mind. Trying to form a plan.

"Harry," she said distantly, "I know I used to love him. But now, he's so different." She thought for another long moment. "Okay." Draco seemed shocked but he finally nodded.

"And you're sure? I don't want you making an impulse decision just because you're angry with Potter."

"No, I'm sure," she said shaking her head. "I think whatever was between us before is gone now."

She screams when I'm away.  
She's been gone before.  
I worried all the time, why worry anymore?  
Now I go away.  
Now I know today.

Ginny returned to Gryffindor Tower later that night. She immediately headed up to Harry's prefect dorm. She knocked lightly on the door and heard a strangled voice invite her in. Harry instantly stood as she entered, moving towards her with his arms open.

"Ginny I"

"No, Harry," she put a hand up and held off his hug. "I need to talk to you." He felt a stab to his chest but he motioned for her to sit.

"What is it, Gin?" he sounded concerned.

"Harry, I just don't think this is going to work," she sighed. "Things have changed so much between us. I can't pretend like this anymore. I want to end it, Harry, I need to." Her chest tightened as she watched a tear slide down his cheek. He sighed heavily and his head fell. Then, he began to nod.

"You're right," he said, sucking in a tight breath before speaking. "Things have changed, Ginny. Maybe not for the best, but they've most certainly changed. I understand." She was shocked at how kind he was, to not argue, to not yell and scream at her.

"Thank you, Harry. You deserve someone better, anyway." He laughed softly.

"I can't say that I agree with you there, but I'll respect what you want, Ginny." He stood and wiped his tears away quickly, hoping she hadn't noticed. "Goodbye, Gin."

"Goodbye, Harry."

I picked out your star, turned night to day.  
A simple whisper from your voice, andI fade away.  
You wished for love.  
You pushed me away.  
Your love for me was everything I need, the air I breathe.

Harry heard the door close yet again. He slumped into a nearby chair, tears threatening to pour from his eyes, from his heart, but he held them in. He thought back to all the times she'd said that she loved him, all the times that she'd said that she always would. One particular memory flooded his mind, playing like a movie.

Had had interrupted the most important part of whatever book she'd been reading but he didn't care, and he didn't think she would either. He was carrying a small piece of parchment in his left hand, and in his right, he held hers. They were running, or more accurately, he was pulling her across a large field near the Borrow. She laughed and implored him to tell her what they were doing.

"Harry! It's nearly midnight, what are we doing out here?" she giggled. He just smiled and winked.

"You'll see," he said. He glanced up at the night sky, studying it carefully. Finally, he slowed down and stopped. They were both panting, and she looked up, too, trying to see what he was looking at.

"There!" he said, pointing up. "There it is!" She strained to follow his finger.

"There /what/ is?" He laughed and pulled her towards him, her back resting against his chest. He continued to point, whispering into her ear.

"There, Ginny, you see that star?" She nodded, smiling. He brought the parchment around so she could look at it. "That's /your/ star, Gin." She gasped, reading the parchment.

Star name: Virginia

"You named a star after me?" she squealed, turning in his arms to plant a soft kiss on his lips. He laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Well, you're my little star, of course!" he said, grinning. She kissed him again, for a long time, before pulling away.

"I love you," she said, letting her lips brush against his, "I always will."

"I love you, too."

There she goes.  
There she goes.  
There she goes.


	3. Swing, Swing

* * *

Days swiftly come and go  
I'm dreaming of her  
She's seeing other guys  
Emotions they stir  
The sun is gone  
The nights are long  
And I am left while the tears fall

* * *

A month had gone by since the breakup and life was moving on around Hogwarts, whether Harry was ready for it or not. He sat at the Gryffindor table and pushed his dinner in circles around his plate. He couldn't keep himself was glancing over at the Slytherin table every now and again to catch Ginny and Draco locked in some disgustingly sweet gaze. 'That slimey git,' he thought to himself. A sharp elbow to his arm drew his attention next to him. 

"Harry, are you still tied up about Ginny?" Ron was speaking to him, of course, but even he couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of Draco oggling his baby sister.

"Ron, she's your little sister, shouldn't you be kicking his arse or something?" he asked. Ron turned to him with a sigh.

"Harry," he said in a matter-of-fact tone, "as much as you and I still think of her as a little girl, she's not. If I tried to stick my foot in that, I'd never hear the end of it." Harry nodded in agreement. He had to accept that Ginny was old enough to make her own decisions.

"I know, I know," he muttered, "I just hope he's treating her right." Ron laughed.

"Look at them, Harry," he leaned his head in their direction, "if anything I'd say she's being treated better now than when she was with you." Harry shot him the evilest look he could muster and Ron laughed while trying to protect his face.

"Aye, mate, I'm only kidding."

Harry went back to pushing his food around and took a look around the room only to catch the eye of Cho Chang. She smiled and gave him a polite nod in his direction. He blushed a little before turning back to his plate. Though his heart was still wound around Ginny, he couldn't help but remember that one, fateful kiss with Cho in the corridor. He had thought about giving her a note or something and meeting with her someplace where they could talk alone, but he just didn't have those kinds of guts. Little did he know Cho Chang was on her way to Gryffindor table with a note of her own.

It was strategically placed in Harry's lap so that no one around would notice. To the naked eye it would seem like a simple 'hello' conversation. He opened the note under the table.

'Harry. If you'd like to, meet me in the West corridor after lunch. I'd love to talk to you. -Cho'

He sighed with a grin on his face. This is just what he'd been waiting for. Just what he needed to get his mind off Ginny for a while.

* * *

Do you know what it feels like being alone?  
I'll find someone new.

* * *

Sure enough Harry gobbled the rest of what he was planning to eat and rushed to the West corridor where Cho was waiting. She was leaning with her back against the wall and a book in her hand. He felt a little unsure about interrupting her but the book dropped to her side as soon as he approached. 

"Hey," she said with a bright smile. He gave the same smile to her.

"Hi."

"It's been a while since we talked, so I thought we could use some alone time." He nodded with a nervous grin.

"Yeah, of course."

"How was your summer?" All these questions were making things a little easier. As long as she gave him a topic, he could go on like this for days.

"Oh, it was good, I was at Ron's mostly." She nodded. "How about yours?"

"Oh, it was alright. I just sat around my house being bored." He laughed.

"Boredom can get the best of you." He gave a nervous little laugh and rubbed his hand across the back of his head. She looked at the floor for a moment then back up at him.

"So, you and Ginny aren't together anymore, right?"

"Yeah. We, uh, things didn't work out."

"Well," she looked at the floor again, "I mean, I know it's usually the guy asking the girl but.. er.." Harry could kind of finish the rest of that sentence for himself and, not meaning to, of course, he answered before she could get the rest out.

"Yeah, I'd love to." She stopped and laughed a little before that same bright smile returned.

"Great."

* * *

Swing, swing, swing  
From the tangles of  
My heart is crushed  
By a former love  
Can you help me find a way  
To carry on again?

* * *

Her shoes clicked against the corridor floor as she made her way to her next class. Books in hand she had a bad habit of staring at her feet when she walked. She heard voices but didn't bother to look up until she got closer and realized that she recognized at least one of them. 

"Good. I'm actually kind of glad you asked. I don't think I would have had the guts. We might have gone on like this forever." The female voice chuckled and Ginny turned the corner just in time to see Cho Chang lean in and lock lips with none other than Harry Potter. She stopped dead in her tracks and hurried back around the corner.

'I should have known,' she thought.


	4. Time Stands Still

Him and her  
Life is turned  
The day I knew you would leave  
I can barely breath  
Can you hear me scream?

* * *

Nearly a week since the the Harry/Cho incident, Ginny and Draco's relationship was in full force. She had long since realized that whatever she and Harry had before was for the most part, over. Harry and Cho began their relationship anew, but his thoughts of Ginny were far from gone. He couldn't keep her off his mind, he couldn't convince himself that Cho made him happy. It was too much for him. But he tried, and Cho tried to make the best of things.

"Look, Harry," she said one night as they snuggled on one of the couches in the Gryffindor Common Room. "I know that Ginny meant a lot to you, and I know that she probably still does, but she's moved on and you need to as well." He looked into her eyes with disdain but realized that she was right.

"I know," he muttered, "I'm really trying, and I'm so glad to be with you, don't get me wrong."

"I know, Harry." She smiled up at him and gave him a light peck on the lips. "Well, I'd better head back to the Ravenclaw dorms before it gets too late. I'll see you at breakfast." He wished her goodnight and stood to head to his own dorm but Ginny entered just as Cho exited. He was frozen in place and they caught each others gaze.

"Hello, Harry," Ginny said politely.

"Hey, Gin." She didn't stop but cooley walked past him and up the stairs to the girls dorms. He watched her go before snapping out of his trance. He wondered if she could still see the pain in his eyes when he looked at her. He began his journey up the staircase to the boys dorm, all the way pondering what to do about his current situation. He loved Ginny, but she was long gone. Any love she had for him was already lost. But he also cared about Cho, and he could tell that Cho cared a lot about him too. 'What to do?' he wondered.

* * *

Thrown in all directions  
You epitome of perfection  
She's lost her will  
She's lost her will  
Time is standing still

* * *

The next morning at breakfast Harry took his normal seat between Ron and Cho. He pushed around his food as usual. He looked for Ginny and Draco at the Slytherin table but couldn't find them. 'Odd,' he thought. But just as the thought passed through is mind the doors open and in they came, giggling and looking so much in love it could make you hurl. He grimaced at Draco and then looked endearingly toward Ginny.

"Oy, Harry, can you snap out of your trance long enough to make some conversation with your best mate?" Ron mumbled through a mouthful of food. Harry grinned and glanced down at his half eaten plate.

"Yeah, Ron, I suppose I can."

"And what about some good conversation with your girlfriend?" This time it came from his left where Cho sat looking beautiful as usual. He gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"A definate yes to that one." He smiled and her face lit up with that glow that Harry had grown so accustomed to.

As Harry made his way to his first class he passed Ginny and Draco in the hall currently distracted by a heated snogging session before they split ways for the day.

"I love you, Draco." Ginny whispered just loud enough for Draco /and/ Harry to hear. Harry rolled his eyes but felt a pang in his heart at the same time.

"I love you, too." Draco whispered back, but his voice was like ice to Harry's ears. They parted and as Ginny turned down the corridor she bumped into Harry.

"Oh, hey," she said uncomfortably.

"Sorry," Harry muttered and tried to keep walking to avoid anymore awkwardness.

"Harry," she spoke before he walked away, "we are still friends right? I mean, I don't really want things to be strange between us. I just don't want you to be hurt that's all." He stopped and turned to her.

"Ginny," he said almost too quiet for her to hear, "I'm hurt, but, I'm almost over it. We'll be friends, I just need time." She nodded understanding and turned around, apparently finding a different way to class just so she could avoid a silent walk down the hall with Harry. He watched her go and wondered if there really was a part of her that still cared.

* * *

The way we are  
The way we were  
It's just a shadow of what's wrong  
The time with you  
The time is stirred  
I love you for so long  
The hearts they turn  
They turn away  
She says to go, please don't you cry  
Love lost was found  
Night turns to day


End file.
